New CD-ROM targets
writing skills 19
February 2001
An innovative and unique
CD-ROM that will assist university students to improve their academic writing
skills will be launched at the University of Wollongong (UOW) on Wednesday
21 February.
With the assistance of the
Centre for Educational Development and Interactive Resources (CEDIR), the interactive
teaching and learning tool was developed by staff of the Modern Languages Program
in the Faculty of Arts.
The CD will be extremely
useful for international and Australian students commencing university studies
at either undergraduate or postgraduate level.
The CD introduces students
to the types of writing expected in a university environment and presents model
examples. These models are de-constructed and their language features highlighted.
Students then can practise these features in a range of writing tasks either
independently or within a classroom setting.
Elizabeth Thomson who co-developed
the project with Robyn Woodward-Kron said, "it is a unique language-based approach
because it presents real examples of successful academic writing and annotates
them using dynamic computer effects."
It was recently reviewed
by Margaret Allan, Senior Lecturer in Language Education at James Cook University,
in Australian Language Matters as "a rare combination of sound language
theory, intelligent instructional design and elegant navigational devices".
Published by Gonichi Language
Services, the CD-ROM will be available as a teaching and research resource at
all UOW campuses and also available commercially. The CD will be launched by
the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Gerard Sutton in the CEDIR function room (1st
floor, Building 20) University of Wollongong at 3.30pm on Wednesday 21 February.
The developers of the CD-ROM will be available for interview from 11am - 3pm
that day by arrangement.
For further information
contact Elizabeth Thomson, Lecturer - Japanese and English Language Studies,
on 4221 4002, or visit www.uow.edu.au/arts/academic_writing/
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